Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Ohio's Department of Agriculture reports that cases of the Sudden Oak Death disease have been found in the state.
The plant pathogen, also known as Phytophthora ramorum, was found on rhododendron and lilac plants shipped to Walmart and Rural King stores in Ohio.
Officials estimate that 1,600 infected plants were shipped to stores throughout the state, according to reporting by the Columbus Dispatch.
Although quarantine and advance shipping notification requirements have eased in recent years, a P. ramorum outbreak poses a serious threat to the nursery industry. In 2019, USDA allocated $1,107,965 in 14 states and nationally for the survey, diagnostics, mitigation, probability modeling, genetic analysis, and outreach regarding P. ramorum and related species.
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